One of my favorite spring foods are freshly shucked English Peas. The shucking itself can take some time, but I like to split the work with a friend and chat while keeping our hands busy. Despite the work, fresh peas are so worth the effort for their sweet, juicy, bright flavor.

As with most Pasta Primaveras, this dish is simple, highlighting the flavors of the peas and spring onions. Fresh prawns pair wonderfully, or for the vegetarians out there, asparagus is a nice seasonal substitute.

Ingredients: 

1 package of fettuccine or tagliatelle, ideally fresh

1/2 pound of Fresh Shrimp, peeled and deveined (or 1 bunch of asparagus)

1 cup of fresh English Peas

2 Spring Onions, sliced thin

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 cup of sliced Kalamata Olives

Olive Oil

Salt Pepper

1/2 cup of Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream (optional)

Directions to Cook:

  • Prep all your vegetables. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • As water boils, add Olive Oil to a large sauce pan; add Spring Onions and stir until just translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add in peas, and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and olives and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Depending on what kind of pasta you have add pasta to boiling water and allow to cook, once cooked, add the pasta into the saucepan with the onions and peas. Add in creme fraiche/sour cream and/or additional olive oil to taste. Mix, until pasta is covered
  • In a frying pan, add additional Olive Oil and quickly pan fry the shrimp, about 2 minutes each side.
  • To serve, place pasta in the dish, and place shrimp on top.
  • Enjoy!